VIDEO: Bob Bradley on The Daily Show: “We Must Go To the World Cup”

Yesterday, Bob Bradley appeared on The Daily Show With Jon Stewart (currently hosted by John Oliver) to discuss how he became Head Coach of the Egyptian national team and the challenges ahead. Beneath the humor and one-liners that come with the Comedy Central show, a much more serious note was struck.

In a time of renewed political turmoil in Egypt, Bradley echoed the thoughts of many Egyptians, saying: “the only thing Egypt agrees on right now is: we must go to the World Cup.” The interview reaffirmed his commitment to getting the job done in Egypt and taking the team to the World Cup for the first time since 1990. While many a coach, especially a foreign coach, would have been long gone by now, Bradley has displayed remarkable resilience and dedication as a coach and as a person in sticking around and achieving results on the pitch, taking Egypt to the final round of World Cup qualifying.

Bradley also discussed the Port Said massacre, and made it a point to highlight the use of the word, “massacre”, referencing the widespread belief that the event was orchestrated to gain revenge on the Al-Ahly Ultras for the role in the January 25 revolution. In addition, a common theme throughout the show was Bradley expressing his admiration for the Egyptian players, who have had to deal with a cancelled local league, no paychecks, and uncertain futures for their careers. Bradley said, “The players have been amazing, they’ve been resilient…these guys have handled everything incredibly well. They believe that we can go to the World Cup this time… when you talk to them and see how important it is, it keeps you going.”

John Oliver too got excited for Egypt’s cause, exclaiming, “I cannot tell you how much I want you to win… you’ve got to win. You have to win. World Cup, Bob!” Judging by the standing ovation from the show’s audience, one can be sure that in the final round of qualifying starting in October, there will be more than just 85 million Egyptians cheering on their national team- but perhaps more than a few American fans as well.

As previously detailed in this article, Bradley has done more than just coach the national team. He has embedded himself within Egyptian culture and endeared himself to Egyptian fans, wholeheartedly embracing what he calls his “crazy adventure,” something John Oliver acknowledged during the show. When asked how his Arabic is, Bradley replied with, “the two most important words are Kass Allam- World Cup.” He couldn’t be more right.